Meeting documents

Venue: Council Chamber, King George V House, King George V Road, Amersham

Contact: Mathew Bloxham  01494 732143; email:  democraticservices@chiltern.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

26.

To receive a presentation from the Manager of Rahab

Members will receive a presentation from Nicola Bell (Manager of Rahab) regarding exploitation and modern slavery.

 

Minutes:

The Chairman welcomed Nicola Bell (Manager of Rahab) to the meeting. RHAB is a charity based in Reading that helps people affected by different types of exploitation. The presentation outlined different types of exploitation, the support that Rahab and other organisations provided, statistics and cases, and advice on what to do if you believe someone is being exploited.

 

Following the presentation Members were invited to ask questions and during which the following key points were noted:

 

Official statistics on exploitation were available from 2009 which was when the national referral mechanism started. There had been a 30% increase in reports of exploitation between 2014 and 2016 which was believed to be due to increased awareness, and the good reporting process in place in the UK.

 

In reference to a historic case in Chalfont St Peter it was asked what churches and other organisations could do if exploitation was suspected. It was advised that Rahab’s key role was to increase awareness and support victims. The support provided depended on the victim’s needs, but could include supporting them with immigration issues, accommodation and identifying financial help available. The police were also very good at disrupting exploitation and taking forward prosecutions for crimes committed.

 

It was confirmed that Rahab worked jointly with the police and other organisations internationally to educate victims on ways of escaping exploitation. Informing victims of the support available was also key.

 

Rahab, when it was formed, initially focused on sexual exploitation but has since expanded its role to cover all forms of exploitation. As well as supporting victims and raising awareness, the organisation had also worked with the Government on policy regarding this issue.

 

The Chairman then thanked Nicola Bell for attending the meeting and answering Members questions.

 

Note: Councillors P Hudson, V Martin, M Harrold, E Culverhouse and H Wallace entered the meeting at 6.32 pm, 6.36pm, 6.38pm, 6.43pm and 6.55pm respectively.

 

27.

Leofwine Shield

To present the Leofwine Shield to Linda Smith, Chairman of Chalfont St Peter Parish Council on behalf of Chalfont St Peter village. The Shield is awarded annually to the Town or Parish Council in Chiltern District achieving the highest mark in the Best Kept Village Competition. Chalfont St Peter is the 2017 winner.

 

Minutes:

The Leofwine Shield is awarded by the Council each year to the town or village in the district which gains the highest number of points in the Buckinghamshire Best Kept Village Competition.

 

Chalfont St Peter was this year’s winners. The Chairman presented the Leofwine Shield to Councillor Linda Smith, Chairman Chalfont St Peter Parish Council.

 

Councillor L Smith received the award on behalf of the village, and after reflecting on the enormous amount of work that was involved with maintaining the various facilities in the village to a very high standard, then thanked the officers of Chalfont St Peter Parish Council and Councillor Darby for all the hard work that that had been involved. 

28.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 113 KB

To approve as a correct record and to sign the Minutes of the meeting of Council held on 11 July 2017.

Minutes:

The Minutes of the meeting of Council held on 11 July 2017 were approved as a correct record.

 

29.

Declarations of Interest

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

 

30.

Announcements

To receive any announcements from:

 

a) Chairman

b) Cabinet Leader

c) Head of Paid Service

Minutes:

The Chairman welcomed Steve Bambrick to the meeting who was the Council’s new Director of Services.

 

On behalf of the Council, and all Members, the Chairman passed on his best wishes to Councillor Derek Lacey who had recently returned home from hospital. Councillor M Shaw would visit Councillor Lacey later that week and would pass on the kind messages of support. All Members would be kept up to date on Councillor Lacey’s progress. 

 

(a) Chairman’s Announcements

 

A list of Engagements carried out by the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Council between 3 July and 6 October 2017 had been circulated.

 

The Chairman’s quiz night on 27 October was now fully booked, and all those that had bought tickets were thanked for their support. Christmas cards would be on sale from 20 October with proceeds going to the Gateway, the Chairman’s Charity.

 

Next year’s Chairman’s Reception would be held on 2 March. A painting, commissioned from a local artist, would be auctioned at the event in aid of the Chairman’s Charity.

 

(b) Announcements from the Leader of the Cabinet

 

The Leader of the Cabinet had no announcements to make.

 

(c) Announcements from the Head of Paid Service

 

The Chief Executive had no announcements to make.

 

31.

Hackney Carriage and Private Hire policy - Licensing Committee - 17 July 2017 pdf icon PDF 37 KB

Minutes:

The Council considered the recommendation of the Licensing Committee meeting held on 17 July 2017 that the draft Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy be adopted and takes effect from 1 December 2017. The Licensing Team were thanked for their work on developing the Policy.

 

It was moved by Councillor J Rush, seconded by Councillor C Jackson and

 

RESOLVED -

 

That the draft Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy be adopted and takes effect from 1 December 2017.

32.

Licensing Act 2003 Policy Review 2017 - Licensing Committee - 17 July 2017 pdf icon PDF 35 KB

Minutes:

The Council considered the recommendation of the Licensing Committee meeting held on 17 July 2017 that the revised draft Licensing Act 2003 Policy Statement be adopted and takes effect from 13 November 2017. The Council was required to review the Policy, and one key proposed change was the introduction of a Neighbour Notification Policy, and Councillor P Hudson was thanked for his involvement with this.

 

It was moved by Councillor J Rush, seconded by Councillor C Jackson and

 

RESOLVED -

 

That the revised draft Licensing Act 2003 Policy Statement be adopted and takes effect from 13 November 2017.

33.

Planning Committee - 10 August 2017 - Local Authority Application CH/2017/1208/TP pdf icon PDF 31 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Council considered the recommendation of the Planning Committee meeting held on 10 August 2017 that application CH/2017/1208/TP for the felling of two ash trees and crown reduction of a holly - all protected by a Tree Preservation Order be approved subject to conditions.

 

It was moved by Councillor D Phillips, seconded by Councillor M Titterington and

 

RESOLVED -

 

That application CH/2017/1208/TP for the felling of two ash trees and crown reduction of a holly - all protected by a Tree Preservation Order be approved subject to the conditions as set out in the report.

34.

Appointment of Independent Persons - Appointment of External Members Panel - 6 September 2017 pdf icon PDF 39 KB

Minutes:

The Council considered the recommendation of the Appointment of External Members Panel meeting held on 6 September 2017 to appoint 2 Independent Persons under Section 28 of the Localism Act 2011. 

 

It was moved by Councillor I Darby , seconded by Councillor G Harris and

 

On being put to the vote by a show of hands it was unanimously

 

RESOLVED -

 

That Full Council agrees to appoint Elizabeth Jones and to re-appoint Caroline Langley as Independent Persons for a term of 5 years.

35.

Pay Policy Statement 2017/18 - Joint Staffing Committee - 11 October 2017 pdf icon PDF 58 KB

Minutes:

The Council was required to publish a pay policy statement each year. Members considered the recommendation of the Joint Staffing Committee meeting held on 6 September 2017 that the Pay Policy Statement 2017/18 be adopted.

 

It was moved by Councillor I Darby , seconded by Councillor M Stannard and

 

RESOLVED -

 

That the Pay Policy Statement 2017/18 be adopted.

36.

Brownfield Land Register pdf icon PDF 60 KB

Minutes:

A new statutory requirement meant that the Council was to prepare and publish a Brownfield Land Register for Chiltern District. The Cabinet at the meeting held on 19 September 2017 agreed the draft Register for consultation, subject to all Members receiving a copy of the draft Register. The Council was required to publish Part 1 of the Register by 31 December 2017, and update this each year. The document would also form part of the Local Plan. 

 

The Cabinet recommended that Council agree that the decision to enter land in Part 2 of the Register be delegated to the Planning Committee, and be treated in the same way as other planning applications so that any Chiltern Councillor could refer a proposed entry into Part 2 of the Register to Planning Committee for consideration. The Council were therefore asked to agree the recommendations of the Cabinet.

 

It was moved by Councillor P Martin , seconded by Councillor I Darby and

 

 

 

 

RESOLVED -

 

1.       That the decision to enter land in Part 2 of the Brownfield Land Register be delegated to the Planning Committee; be dealt with under the Scheme of Officer Delegations in the same way as planning applications, including being subject to a Chiltern District Member referring a proposed entry in Part 2 of the Register to the Planning Committee for consideration where appropriate.

 

2.       That the Head of Legal and Democratic Services be authorised to amend the Council’s Constitution to reflect the new Brownfield Land Register functions and associated delegations.

37.

Verbal Reports from the Leader, Cabinet Members or Chairman of a Committee

To receive and consider verbal update reports (if any) from the Members listed above, and to answer questions on any of those reports from any Member of the Council in accordance with Rule 9.1 of the Procedural Rules.

Minutes:

Councillor F Wilson: Discretionary Business Rate Relief

A revaluation of all business premises took effect from April 2017 and in the Spring 2017 Budget the Government announced funding to support those businesses adversely affected. The Council would receive £196,000 in the first year and additional funding for a further three years on a reducing basis. A Discretionary Business Rate Relief Scheme, based on a standard scheme that had been developed across Buckinghamshire, was also in place. A summary of the key eligibility requirements for the relief available were noted.

 

IRRV 2017 Revenues Team of the Year and Excellence in Partnership working Awards

Councillor F Wilson congratulated the Joint Revenues Team on receiving two highly commended national awards from the Institute of Revenues Rating and Valuation on Revenues Team of the Year and Excellence in Partnership working.  The Revenues Team had been a shared service for just over a year and the awards were a testament to the team’s success. Thanks were expressed to all the Joint Revenues Team for their hard work and high performance.

 

Councillor P Martin: Local Plan Update

All Members were reminded that a meeting of the Chiltern & South Bucks Joint Planning Policy Member Reference Group would be held on 18 October at Capswood, and that they were welcome to attend. The agenda contained a number of important items, including infrastructure provision and possible changes to the timetable for the Joint Local Plan.

 

Councillor M Stannard: Leisure Centre

A second round of consultation on the proposed development of Chiltern Pools had been carried out. One of the questions related to the proposed land swap with Amersham Town Council to enable the proposed development to include part of King George V playing field. The second consultation also sought to gauge to what extent the revised proposals addressed community requirements. The consultation details had been well publicised and were also included in the Amersham Town newsletter. Overall the feedback had been positive, and the key headline results were noted. The Council was now looking at the next stages of the project that included appointing an architect to draw up proposals.

 

Councillor I Darby: Amersham Multi-storey Car Park

Members received an update on Amersham Multi Storey Car Park. It was noted that the contractor (Balfour Beatty) had now taken possession of the site and had started work on Monday 16 October. Fencing had been erected with machinery and welfare facilities now on site. Construction excavation activities would start on Thursday 19 October. Hoarding around the site was scheduled to go up the following week with designs including the ‘Investing in Amersham’ theme. Advice had been provided to users of the alternative parking options which included season ticket holders and Council staff. Up to date information on the project was available to the public via www.chiltern.gov.uk and via social media. Updates to residents would continue throughout the construction, and the Council would liaise with local businesses prior to the Christmas shopping period. The project was due for completion in November 2018.

 

Councillor I Darby: Chiltern and South Bucks Lottery

 

The Council had set up a lottery to help support local charities. Tickets would be available from 24 October and could be purchased from local groups and the Council’s website. The first draw would take place on 25 November with prizes ranging from £250 to £25,000.

 

Safe Place Scheme

The Safe Place scheme provides vulnerable people a short term 'Safe Place' to go if they are feeling vulnerable when they are out in their local town. Shops, businesses and public buildings who are a Safe Place will display the Safe Place sticker in their window so that people know where to go if they are feeling vulnerable. Residents could also carry a Safe Place Member Card so that people know that a person is feeling vulnerable. Residents and businesses can contact the Community Safety Team (01494 586535; communitysafety@chiltern.gov.uk) to request a card or register as a Safe Place.  The list of participating premises is available via: http://www.chiltern.gov.uk/safeplacescheme

 

Crematorium update

Councillor I Darby provided an update on progress with the new Crematorium being built in Bierton by the Chilterns Crematorium Joint Committee. Initial site clearance works will start on site week commencing 23 October, and construction would last around one year. Dialogue with local residents would continue throughout the construction phase, and would include liaison meetings, newsletters and site visits. Further work would be carried out to advertise the new Crematorium, and plan for its official opening. 

 

HS2

The Council was working to ensure that HS2’s community engagement team kept residents informed. It was noted that HS2 had launched a community engagement strategy, and from Spring 2018 HS2 would also have its own website.

 

Councillor J Gladwin: Audit & Standards Committee update

Members noted that at the Audit and Standards Committee meeting held on 27 September Members approved the Council’s Statement of Accounts 2016/17 and audit. The audit opinion was unqualified. The pressure would continue into next year as the deadline for the statement of accounts to be approved and their audit completed had been brought forward to the end of July. Thanks were expressed to officers, the Finance Team in particular, for all their hard work to ensure the deadline was met.

 

Questions without Notice on any Verbal Report

In accordance with Rule 9.1 of the Council Procedure Rules Members were permitted to ask questions on any of the reports from Members made under this item.

 

Councillor P Jones, in reference to the verbal report on Amersham Multi Storey Car Park, was pleased to note that the comments made by the Planning Committee meeting held on 22 June 2017 regarding maintaining good relations with residents living nearby to the site had been taken on board, and it was hoped that this would continue.

 

Councillor P Jones was pleased to note the recent awards that the Joint Revenues Team had received, and reminded Members that the Team had received a similar achievement award several years previously which illustrated that the Team was committed to delivering a sustained high performing service. It was asked if the Chief Executive could pass on Members’ thanks to the Team.

 

Note: Councillor P Jones left the meeting at 7.32pm.

38.

Vote of Thanks: Joint Revenues Team

Minutes:

In light of the Joint Revenues Team’s success in receiving two awards for 2017 Revenues Team of the Year, and Excellence in Joint Partnership Working, it was moved by Councillor I Darby, and seconded by Councillor P Martin, and

 

RESOLVED -

 

That Members express a vote of thanks to the Joint Revenues Team for their recent success in receiving two awards for the 2017 Revenues Team of the Year, and Excellence Joint Partnership Working. 

39.

Questions with Notice (if any)

The Chairman of the Council; Cabinet Leader or a Cabinet Member; or Chairman of any Committee to receive a question on any matter in relation to which the Council has powers or duties or which affects the District. Questions must be given in writing to the proper officer 3 clear days before the meeting, or if it relates to urgent business by 4pm on the day of the meeting, in accordance with Rule 9.2 of the Council Procedure Rules.

Minutes:

There were no questions.

 

40.

Petitions (if any)

To receive petitions and/or deputations (if any) from members of the public including provisions allowing members to ask questions of clarification at the discretion of the Chairman and restrictions on deputations covering the same subject or by the same speakers.

Minutes:

No petitions were presented.

41.

Joint Arrangements and Outside Organisations (if any)

To receive reports about and receive questions and answers relating to any joint arrangements or external organisations.

Minutes:

There were no reports.

 

42.

Motions (if any)

Written notice of every motion, signed by at least 2 Members, must be delivered to the proper officer at least 7 clear days before the meeting

Minutes:

No Motions had been received.

43.

Local Government Act 1972 - Section 85 Attendance Dispensation pdf icon PDF 40 KB

Minutes:

Due to ill-health, Councillor Derek Lacey had been unable to attend a meeting of the authority or of an outside body since 17 May 2017. Section 85 of the Local Government Act 1972 states that if a Councillor fails over a period of six consecutive months from the date of their last attendance to attend any meeting of the Authority they shall cease to be a Councillor, unless the failure was due to some reason approved by the authority before the expiry of that period.

 

Members noted that Councillor Lacey had recently returned home following a period of ill health and 4 months in hospital. In light of the circumstances it was proposed that the Council exercises its powers under the Local Government Act to grant a dispensation to the attendance rules for Councillor Lacey for a period of 3 meeting cycles (to the Annual meeting of Council on 15 May 2018).

 

It was moved by Councillor D Phillips, seconded by Councillor J MacBean and

 

RESOLVED -

 

That the Council exercises its powers under Section 85(1) of the Local Government Act 1972, and grants a dispensation to the attendance requirements for elected members in recognition of Councillor Derek Lacey’s ill-health for three meeting cycles (to the Annual Meeting of Council on 15 May 2018).

44.

Changes to appointments to Committees and Outside Bodies

Council to agree the appointment of a Councillor to Chesham Community Interest Company. This is a new appointment arising from agreement at the 19 September 2017 Cabinet meeting that the Council be a Member of the Chesham Community Interest Company.

 

Minutes:

At the Cabinet meeting held on 19 September 2017 it was agreed that the Council would become a Member of the Chesham Renaissance Community Interest Company (CIC). The Council was therefore asked to agree the appointment of a Councillor to the Chesham Renaissance Community Interest Company.

 

It was moved by Councillor I Darby, seconded by Councillor J MacBean and

 

RESOLVED -

 

That Councillor M Stannard be appointed to the Chesham Renaissance Community Interest Company.

 

Note: Councillor J Wertheim left the meeting at 7.37pm

45.

Local Land Charge Service - Shared Service Review pdf icon PDF 43 KB

Minutes:

Consideration was given to the report arising from the Local Land Charge Service Shared Service Review which was the final shared service review to be considered.

 

It was moved by Councillor M J Stannard, seconded by Councillor I A Darby and

 

RESOLVED -

 

1.       That the case for a Local Land Charge Service is proven, and that both Councils should proceed to establish a Shared Local Land Charge Service;

 

i)      That, subject to consultation with staff and a formal agreement between the Councils, the services of staff in Chiltern District Council’s Land Charge Service be put at the disposal of South Bucks District Council under Section 113 of the Local Government Act 1972 so they can work across the two local authority areas; and

 

ii)    That the Chief Executive in consultation with the Cabinet Leader and Head of Legal and Democratic Services be authorised to finalise the terms of any legal documentation required to give effect to recommendation 2 above.